The Nchumurus and Nawuris ethnic tribes in the Kpandai district have threatened a court action against Regional Reorganization Minister, Dan Botwe, if the area is added to the recommended Savanna region requested by the chief and people of the Gonjaland Traditional Area.
The warning follows a public statement issued by the Gonjaland Youth Association threatening to block “calculated attempts by some individuals” to mastermind the exclusion of Kpandai District from the proposed Savanna Region.
In the statement earlier on Tuesday even before the nine member committee of inquiry for the creation of additional regions presented their recommendations to government, the Gonjaland Youth Association claimed without providing evidence, that plans were underway to either maintain the Kpandai district in the Northern region or added to the proposed Oti Region.
The statement signed by the Association President, Alhassan Dramani, maintained that the Kpandai district belongs to Gonjas and cautioned chiefs in the Gonjaland Traditional Area to stand against the attempts to remove the area form the rest of the Gonjaland.
The group said it will reject the creation of Savanna Region without the Kpandai District.
At every step of the process, peace, unity and ethnic tensions continue to grow in the Northern Region especially in parts of the Gonjaland where a number of minority tribes have been agitating for their settlements to be excluded from the new Savanna Region proposed by the Gonjas.
The statement by the Gonjas has renewed the debate over the ownership of the Kpandai district between the Nawuris and Nchumurus on one side and Gonjas on other side, and created a frenzy climate in the area.
The Nchumurus and Nawuris in response to the statement by the Gonjaland Youth Association insisted that the people of the Kpandai district do not want to be part of the Savanna Region and that nothing can change that arrangement.
“We will continue to oppose attempts by the Gonjas to usurp our tiny God-given lands no matter the consequences. An inclusion of the Kpandai District in the proposed Savannah Region is tantamount to a declaration of war between the Nawuris and the Nchumurus on the one hand and the Gonjas on the other”
“Given the fact that some ethnic groups such as the Vaglas, Mos and Tamplumas whose lands have been “swallowed up” by greedy land grabbing Gonjas and given the fact that these ethnic groups are already seething venomously under Gonja “imperialism”, the inclusion of Kpandai District in the proposed Savannah Region could spark off a series of wars between the Nawuris, Nchumurrus and the “imperialistic” Gonjas, which could be capitalized upon by the Vaglas, Mos and Tamplusis to fight against the Gonjas. This could have serious catastrophic repercussions on the Savannah Region and the nation in general”, the Nchumurus and Nawuris said in a joint statement.
President of the Nchumuru Youth Association, Abraham Kwame Amoah told Starr News in a separate interview that multiple petitions backed by documented historical facts and evidence have always clearly shown Kpandai lands belong to Nchumurus and Nawuris.
He said the people of the district have chosen to be part of the proposed Oti Region as also warned any attempts to scuttle that ambition will be met with legal actions.
“We will petition and go to court to contest” if the Kpandai district is added to the proposed Savana Region, Abraham Amoah disclosed to Starr News.
Source: Ghana/Starrfmonline.com/103.5FM/Eliasu Tanko
